The tantalizing tastes and ambrosial aromas from over 90 of the city’s favorite restaurants are right around the corner, as Taste of Atlanta gears up to return to Tech Square in Midtown. From Friday, October 25 – Sunday, October 27, the decadent weekend offers a smorgasbord of fresh flavors, features and fun for food lovers of all ages. From sampling renowned recipes to mastering culinary creations, guests are free to explore the city’s fervent foodie culture and get a real taste of Atlanta.
On Friday, October 25 from 6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m., Atlanta’s Taste Revival: Local Chefs, Smokin’ Jams fuses tastes and tunes to set the tone for weekend’s festivities. Attendees will enjoy live Southern rock music from Parker Smith and the Bandwith, as Chef Host Ron Eyester from Rosebud, The Family Dog and Timone’s Pizza joins other local celebrity chefs to serve up specialties inspired by their favorite bands, musicians and songs. Best of all, a portion of the proceeds from Atlanta’s Taste Revival benefits Georgia Organics, a local non-profit that connects organic food from Georgia farms to Georgia families. Guests looking to sip cold beer and cocktails, savor good grub and jam out to rockin’ music can purchase tickets by visiting http://bit.ly/1fyMV5J.
On Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27 from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., hungry attendees will fill their plates with an extensive selection of tastes from the city’s best restaurants and seasoned chefs. This year’s festival offers up fare from everywhere–including signature Southern dishes, international flavors and trendy treats. Taste of Atlanta showcases the city’s eclectic cuisine, spotlighting the incredible energy and diversity of Atlanta’s famed food scene. For a complete list of participating restaurants, visit http://bit.ly/R6uluI.
2013 Festival highlights include:
- Barcraft Competition sponsored by Fernet-Branca – Get ready for a mix up thrown down! The city’s top bar buffs will compete head-to-head to earn the coveted title of Atlanta’s Best Bartender.
- Big Green Egg Grilling Experience – Fire it up with Atlanta Eats host Mara Davis! Local grill-masters can check out the hottest grills, taste smokin’ recipes and learn how to make the most out of their Big Green Egg.
- VIP Experience – VIP ticket holders ages 21 and up receive exclusive access to the Wine+Beer+Cocktail Experience, along with complimentary tastes from restaurants and sponsors not found in the main festival. Guests can enjoy samples of 50+ wine varieties, 30+ craft beers and 10+ cocktail tastings from Atlanta’s finest bartenders as well as complimentary Acqua Panna and S. Pellegrino. Brewers and hosts from Hop City Craft Beer & Wine will also be onsite to answer questions and provide the latest information on the best beers around.
- Inside the Food Studio – Hosted by Atlanta’s own Tom Sullivan, this exclusive culinary session offers an intimate look inside the fascinating world of the professional chef. Festival goers will enjoy beverages and bites while learning valuable cooking skills and discovering secrets of the culinary craft.
- The Kitchen Workshop – Hosted by CNN’s Holly Firfer and presented by The Cook’s Warehouse and Guy T. Gunter Fine Appliances, The Kitchen Workshop offers attendees a wide range of hands-on classes and seminars to learn how to create delicious dishes in their own kitchen. A wide range of classes and instructors provide the ideal interaction for patrons to enjoy themselves and learn interesting twists on basic cooking concepts and techniques.
- Family Food Zone – Head over to the Family Food Zone cooking stage, with host Beth Bacall from 104.7 THE FISH, for tons of educational demos and cooking lessons from national and local chefs – perfect for the whole family! Returning to the lineup this year, the Iron Chef Kids Competition showcases two pint-sized chefs-in-training on the ultimate showdown.
- Silent Auction – The festival is proud to support Share our Strength’s Cooking Matters™ as the beneficiary of the Silent Auction. Cooking Matters is a groundbreaking program that provides a strong foundation in nutrition, cooking, and household budgeting through specialized courses for adults, kids, and teens.
- Barnes & Noble Bookstore – Stroll through this tent to pick up the latest copies of today’s most popular cookbooks and other food-related titles.
“Taste of Atlanta gets more and more delicious every year,” said Dale DeSena, president and founder of Taste of Atlanta. “We take great pride in the fact that the festival caters to food lovers of all ages and appetites – Taste of Atlanta truly has something for everyone! Add in all the chef seminars, cooking workshops and culinary classes and you get a full-on weekend recipe that encourages food lovers to not only fill up on the tastiest treats in town, but also to gain valuable insight into Atlanta’s restaurant scene. We’ve been cooking up a storm to make this year’s festival bigger and tastier than before, and we’re can’t wait to serve – and wow – the city once again!”
Taste of Atlanta ticket information:
- Atlanta’s Taste Revival tickets are $75 (General Admission) and $100 (VIP) for the all-inclusive kickoff party. General Admission ticket holders receive access into the event at 7:30 p.m. and VIP ticket holders receive early entrance at 6:30 p.m.
- General admission tickets (includes 10 taste coupons) are $30 in advance; $40 at the gate. Kids ages 13 and under receive FREE admission (excluding taste coupons) when accompanied by a paid adult.
- VIP tickets (includes 10 taste coupons and access to Wine+Beer+Cocktail Experience) are $75 in advance; $85 at the gate. A limited number of VIP tickets are available, and the first 300 ticket holders each day receive a festival gift bag.
- Taste coupons are used to “purchase” food from participating restaurants. Menu items are valued at one, two or three taste coupons. Additional taste coupons are $1 each.
- Tickets are sold at locations throughout Atlanta, including Cook’s Warehouse, Ticket Alternative and Georgia Tech’s ticket booth outlets. Advance tickets must be purchased by midnight on October 25. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/dmbFi6.
Taste of Atlanta extends its appreciation to sponsors Diet Coke, the all-new GMC Sierra, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, Miller Lite, specialty El Jimador Tequila, Jack Daniels Honey, Southern Comfort, Whole Foods Market and Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, as well as the partners mentioned above.
About Taste of Atlanta:
Taste of Atlanta is a three-day festival that attracts food lovers from throughout Atlanta, the Southeast and beyond to enjoy tastes from more than 90 restaurants from all over the Atlanta Metropolitan area. Guests can sample delicious dishes; sip robust wines, craft beers, and innovative cocktails; be entertained by live cooking demos from local celebrity chefs; and enjoy interactive sponsor experiences and family-friendly entertainment, all while uncovering the incredible dining treasures the city has to offer. Taste of Atlanta supports several Atlanta non-profit groups, including Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters, Atlanta’s Table, Georgia Organics and Hospitality Education Foundation of Georgia and ProStart®. Join us Friday through Sunday, October 25-27 in Midtown at Tech Square. Stay connected to Taste of Atlanta 2013:
- Sign up for the Taste of Atlanta newsletter: www.tasteofatlanta.com
- Follow Taste on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tasteofatlanta
- Like Taste on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tasteofatlanta
- Follow Taste on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tasteofatlanta
- Follow Taste on Instagram: http://instagram.com/tasteofatlanta